Originally posted by g146541
I'm not buying it but now that this story is out, many will buy the next book.
Very clever.

And what makes you feel this way?

Just what makes people think Humans are the smartest in the animal kingdom?

We have are not naturally (that or society takes it out of us) tuned to nature, and we were born with fingers and thumbs making it easier for us to
accomplish certain tasks which is needed to accomplish what man has, such as writing and building.

But maybe, just maybe, we aren't the only highly intelligent creatures on earth, we just got lucky.

Seems to me that Humans travel thousands of miles to mourn the dead, why can't other species?

My dog recently passed away, and I am still mourning the loss, so why wouldn't elephants be able to mourn the death of a human?

Now why does it not suprise me that the "Expert Sceptics" have made their views known. Did any of you even read the full article?

Yes, it could be a coincidence but what a HUGE coincidence is it not that they hadn't been in the area for over a year and half and then they arrive a
couple of days after the death of Lawrence Anthony, coincidence?, probably, if you're a sceptic!!!

Just because we don't speak their language and therefore don't understand them we assume that they are "dumb animals" maybe it's us that are the dumb
ones around here!

And you can flame me all you want, I BELIEVE this happened for the reason stated in the article and that's all that matters to me!

We have no way of ever knowing how they knew and just because we don't understand doesn't make it any less real!

Animals can see spirits, if his spirit was lurking around they could have been drawn to him. We don't know how long it takes angels to take you to
wherever you're declared to go. There are things in this world that science fails to explain, this will be one of them because science sneers at
concepts of any type of "afterlife".

Originally posted by emptyOmind
this reminds me of something my aunt told me she read. she said that there are only two animals that mourn the death of their own beside humans, mice
and elephants.

Add to that, dogs. Dogs absolutely mourn the loss of one of their "own", which includes people and cats, if they are part of the group. Horses
also mourn....it's heartwrenching to watch.

Animals have so much to teach us. Elephants are my absolute favorite, and they are capable of so much more than humans credit them with. I have not
bonded with an elephant, although there is one I see annually -- who travels around -- she spends seven weekends here in my town each autumn. I have
spoken to her often, and last year I got the opportunity to speak for a while to one of her people.

I envy him his job...although my current family of 7 (2 humans, 2 dogs, 3 cats) is precious to me Their company is wonderful. Every animal I've
known and loved has had a unique personality. It is marvelous to be connected to them, understand what they mean, and communicate in so many ways.

Amazing story, thank-you for sharing it. It amazes me what we humans deny ourselves, the beauty we miss by separating ourselves from nature. It seems
to be our path and I accept that but we need not sever the bond. It makes me mourn something that I can't quite articulate.

I doubt what you saw was morning.... probobly trying to lap up as much blood as it could before being challanged for the corpse.

What a miserable frame of mind, Animals have been seen to help each other, and other species, when distressed or injured, not every act in the animal
kingdom is motivated by the electrical impulses from the stomach.

What an amazing guy, i hope someone else can carry on his work and the elephants do not become unsettled by his passing, they obviously know he has
gone.
This says a lot about the presence of lifeforce and the "Weight Of Soul", buddhist monks have said that if they are present in the moments of death
of another person, that they can literally feel the presence of life of that person leave, this can be so energetic when an adept of mind and soul
passes, it can, and has been reported to knock attendants unconscious, as though an energetic snapping of lifeforce as the soul is removed from the
plain of existence creates a literal psychic/energetic shockwave.
Maybe this is what the elephants felt, they had an emotional attachment to a friend and felt his passing, it seems to me that elephants have a much
deeper emotional intellect than science believes is possible.

Originally posted by emptyOmind
this reminds me of something my aunt told me she read. she said that there are only two animals that mourn the death of their own beside humans, mice
and elephants.

Add to that, dogs. Dogs absolutely mourn the loss of one of their "own", which includes people and cats, if they are part of the group. Horses
also mourn....it's heartwrenching to watch.

Animals have so much to teach us. Elephants are my absolute favorite, and they are capable of so much more than humans credit them with. I have not
bonded with an elephant, although there is one I see annually -- who travels around -- she spends seven weekends here in my town each autumn. I have
spoken to her often, and last year I got the opportunity to speak for a while to one of her people.

I envy him his job...although my current family of 7 (2 humans, 2 dogs, 3 cats) is precious to me Their company is wonderful. Every animal I've
known and loved has had a unique personality. It is marvelous to be connected to them, understand what they mean, and communicate in so many ways.

Every once in awhile someone brings to ATS a story that is truely deep and meaningful, this is one of them, thank you very much.
My pets are all that keep me grounded in this world today and I feel honored because of there love for me as I'm sure this man did.

Originally posted by onehuman
Even though this is a sad story in one aspect, it is also a incredible story as well. They mystery and magic of the animal kingdom never ceases to
amaze me. I have to ay for me, sad as it is, I also find myself having a feel good moment as well about it. Hope it stirs you folks as well in some
wondrous way.

Here is a couple snips of the story:

For 12 hours, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of late author
Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist who saved their lives.The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, were
rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the bush and was known as the “Elephant Whisperer.”

For two days the herds loitered at Anthony’s rural compound on the vast Thula Thula game reserve in the South African KwaZulu – to say good-bye to
the man they loved. But how did they know he had died March 7? Known for his unique ability to calm traumatized elephants, Anthony had become a
legend. He is the author of three books, Baghdad Ark, detailing his efforts to rescue the animals at Baghdad Zoo during the Iraqi war, the forthcoming
The Last Rhinos, and his bestselling The Elephant Whisperer.

To read the rest of the story and see pictures of the herds,
CLICK HERE

Thanks for sharing, wonderful and touching tale, almost moved me to tears. Animals may not be as smart as us but they can definitely feel and sense.
And judging from the way humans are treating them I wouldn't consider those elephants "wild", just deeply and naturally resentful at the deprival
of their freedom and murder of their relatives through no fault of their own. Much thanks to Lawrence Anthony for saving those creatures' lives and
may his soul rest in peace.

Much credit too to whites as we seem to be the only ones who go out of our way to save and preserve wildlife throughout the world. I have yet to see a
negro, arab, or asian go out of their way to do something for the benefit of the planet, rather than whine about western oppression while flooding our
countries with their unwanted presence and lapping up our culture and technology like a 70 year old whore with her first client. The world certainly
benefits the most from our control of it.

What a dumb thing to say, Shirley the elephants best friend was a black man who cried when he had to say goodbye after helping to get her to her new
home where she was reunited with her old elephant friend Tara...beautiful, amazing story.

OP thank-you so much for sharing this heartwarming story with us, RIP elephant whisperer, I hope his wife and his elephant friends will comfort each
other in thier time of loss.....

As I have been reading through this thread and watching the videos others have posted I began to cry, and my dogs both came to comfort me...it really
puts things in perspective, how lucky we humans are to even "glimpse" how sensative and loving animals are. Again OP beautiful thread....

Alright, that touched my heart. In the pics you can see the meaningful eye contact.
I will introduce you to my story I call: the 21 gobble salute. Its true, while staying at my mother's house, I kept alive perhaps a whole tribe of
turkeys during the winter months. My mother is always gone in Florida at that time. When it came early June and time to go, inexplicably two toms and
two young toms came to the front and back of my house. The turkeys in the back would gobble together, and then the turkeys in the front would gobble
together. And so on...This went on for perhaps fifteen minutes!

Animals can see spirits, if his spirit was lurking around they could have been drawn to him. We don't know how long it takes angels to take you to
wherever you're declared to go. There are things in this world that science fails to explain, this will be one of them because science sneers at
concepts of any type of "afterlife".

And you think the Bible is a 100% fact about how the Afterlife is? x) Haha.....

All i'm saying is they either came to know why he hadnt been to see them or they got the 'Anthony call' and came trotting over... that call he gave
to signal the Elephants??? Put it on loudspeaker or something....

LOL, Gobble, Gobble, very cool story....growing up, my Dad swears our old dog who used to run with him would "know" the moment he was "thinking"
of taking a run, which were never at perdictable times...really is amazing.....btw this is the same dog that disappeared for 3mns, and came home, to
this day we have no idea where he went and what "journey" he took in those 3 mns.

Originally posted by onehuman
Even though this is a sad story in one aspect, it is also a incredible story as well.

Incredible story.

Q. Who wrote it?
A. Someone called "Michelle".
However I dont think thats true. This article is in various places on the net, with various authors listed.
I suspect this "Michelle" person just copied it from somewhere.

Q. How does the author know the details?
A. The website doesnt give a single clue.
Neither does the rest of the internet.

Edit - the original source of the story appears to be here, March 10... iolnews

Please see the Alfa1 post below.
I never said elephants were dumb or that we we're smarter, you seem to have read alot in my few words.
All I truly said was that this dead authors book should sell quite well now.

Thank you for posting this thread. I think it's great to remind people of these amazing animals. The world has lost a beautiful human being, but
thankfully there are still some out there that are fighting for these animals. One of whom is up in Kenya - Daphne Sheldrick. She rescues orphaned
elephants due to poaching.

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